1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packaging case which collects and packages a plurality of stored items such as, for example, containers which accommodate cartridges incorporating photographic films, or the like.
The present invention further relates to a packaging case having a header which enables pendent display from a suspending hanger at a time of sales display at a store front of stored items such as, for example, containers which accommodate cartridges incorporating photographic films or the like, the header being formed by a protruding piece in which a suspension opening is formed, into which opening the suspending hanger is inserted.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior Art 1
Heretofore, there have been numerous packaging cases that package collected pluralities of stored items. Many of these packaging cases are convenient in that the plurality of stored items stored in the packaging case can be taken out one at a time rather than having to be taken out all together. Photographic films are a representative example of such stored items.
Conventionally, a format for packaging photographic films or the like has been to accommodate cartridges which store photographic films in roll form in containers made of synthetic resin (below referred to as “cartridge containers”), individually accommodate the cartridge containers in boxes for packaging, and sell the same. However, in recent years, as usage volumes of photographic film have increased, formats in which cartridge containers are plurally collected and sold have become more abundant.
A plurality of cartridge containers are taken out from such a packaging case at one time, but it is very unusual for all of the plurality of photographic films that are taken out from the packaging case to be required during an ordinary photographic shoot. Cartridge containers that store photographic films that are not immediately required are difficult to completely distinguish from cartridge containers that store used photographic films by visual appearance. Thus, confusion of these two types of cartridge containers may occur.
Accordingly, of cartridge containers that store photographic films, cartridge containers that are taken out from a packaging case individually are convenient with regard to avoiding situations in which used photographic films and unused photographic films are mixed up.
With a view to solving this problem, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication (JP-Y) No. 6-43800 discloses a packaging case (a carton for packaging) having perforations which form openings that enable stored items to be taken out individually. This packaging case (carton for packaging) enables the stored items to be taken out as required, and is extremely convenient. However, when faces in which the perforations are formed and faces adjacent to those faces are formed by folding at a time of assembly of this packaging case, reaction forces are concentrated at the perforations, and formation failures in which steps are formed at the perforations and/or the perforations are broken occur often.
Prior Art 2
Heretofore, in order to use display space efficiently for selling packaging cases accommodating stored items such as, for example, containers which accommodate cartridges incorporating photographic films or the like, pendent display of the packaging cases storing the stored items has been carried out at a display stand. In order for stored items to be displayed for sale at a store front in this manner, the packaging cases are provided with protruding pieces (headers) in which are formed suspension openings through which a suspending hanger is inserted.
When products are produced in a factory and these products are to be packed in packaging cases and shipped to intermediaries such as retailers, distributors and the like, the packaging cases may be collected and aggregated in a packaging format known as shrink film packaging. Shrink film packaging is a packaging format in which goods are packed imprecisely in a plastic film known as shrink film, which is heat-shrinkable to a thin film form by pressure-forming or the like, the shrink film is shrunk by hot air, and the goods are tightly contacted with one another in this wrapped state.
Generally, because the headers which are provided with suspension openings protrude from the packaging cases, the shrink film packaging is carried out such that the protruding pieces (headers) are folded so as to abut against faces of the packaging cases.
However, even when the headers are packed so as to closely contact the packaging cases by shrink film wrapping, the headers may interfere with the packaging case faces and end up sticking up. This is a problem in that appearance is poor. In these circumstances, packaging cases whose headers fold up easily are being called for.
Prior Art 3
A packaging case for accommodating containers that store cartridges or the like is produced by assembling a development sheet, from an unfolded state formed by die-cutting, into a cuboid shape with a folding assembly machine known as a sack machine or the like. Generally, first, a quadrilateral tube is formed from the development sheet. Besides the aforementioned protruding piece (header), portions referred to as flaps are respectively provided continuously at both of opening ends of the quadrilateral tube. These flaps are folded in, and thus the cuboid packaging case is produced.
However, when the quadrilateral tube is to be formed from the development sheet in the unfolded state, or when the flaps are to be folded orthogonally, problems often occur in which side edges of the protruding piece (header) abut against and catch onto side edges of flaps that are adjacent to the protruding piece: formation of the quadrilateral tube becomes impossible, and/or the flaps cannot be folded. In particular, such problems are remarkably evident in cases in which a width of the protruding piece (header) is large, and improvements are being called for.